Learn to Tat with Georgia Seitz

My favorite Interweave DVD is an awesome introduction to tatting. Needle Tatting: The Basics and More is a great resource for anyone looking to dive into a new craft. Tatting, a process of making delicate knotted lace, can be done with a shuttle or needle. Master tatter Georgia Seitz teaches viewers how to tat with a needle in this video.

You might have seen the post about my favorite Interweave book, New Tatting: Modern Lace Motifs and Projects, and decided to give shuttle tatting a try because of the gorgeous projects within the book. Although that book teaches shuttle tatting, in the Needle Tatting DVD, Georgia teaches us that any tatting pattern for a shuttle also can be done on a needle. So if you learn to needle tat, there is a whole world of beautiful projects open to you.

With this 2-disc set, a tatting needle, and some thread, you can learn the art of needle tatting to create gorgeous lace for things like baby caps and bibs, edgings, doilies and tablecloths, and embellishment. And there is no better person to learn tatting from than Georgia—her designs first appeared in PieceWork in the November/December 1993 issue with three snowflakes to shuttle tat.

The Ladies’ Work-Table Book (1843) and The Ladies’ Handbook of Fancy and Ornamental Work (1861). Both contain instructions for needle tatting, but the technique described was actually a description of shuttle tatting, using a needle in place of a shuttle. Collection of Barbara Foster. Photo by Joe Coca.

Georgia first walks viewers through a thorough introduction to the tools and techniques of needle tatting. Her patience and clear explanations make her an excellent teacher, and it’s easy to understand what she’s doing with each new step. When she begins showing the double stitch, a stitch that is the foundation of both shuttle and needle tatting, she uses a large thread and goes slow enough that it is easy to follow along. She does a lot of repetition to ensure viewers can catch on. Eventually, she switches to a smaller thread to start tatting a project. The video encompasses everything from basic stitches to finished projects, and if you follow along with her through the video, you will end up with a tatted project of your own! The video is sprinkled with tidbits of useful information such as how to read patterns, how to fix errors, and how to determine the front and back of the work. Georgia even incorporates beads into the mix, showing beaded tatting projects such as an adorable Christmas ornament you can make in half an hour.

As Georgia says in the video, tatting can “bring you out of whatever shell you live in and into a whole new world of fun.” These informative and easy-to-follow DVDs are the perfect start! What better time to jump in than during our annual Stashbuster Sale? Get Needle Tatting: The Basics and More at a discounted price today.

Happy tatting!
Jenna

Featured Image: This blanket has a needle-tatted edging designed by Barbara Foster and a needle-tatted corner designed by Leisa Refalo. The project is in PieceWorkMay/June 2014.